KIYONARI TAKES POLE AS HILL BOUNCES BACK TO RUN THIRD MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Round five 26/27 June Mallory Park, Leicestershire Ryuichi Kiyonari bettered his own lap record as he put his HM Plant Honda onto pole start for the fifth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Mallory Park. The former two times winner of the crown lapped the 1.41mile Leicestershire circuit in 55.630secs, two tenths of a second inside the record, and enough to give the Japanese rider his second pole start of the campaign. “I really wanted a good lap to get on top,” explained Kiyonari who in previous seasons has enjoyed two victories at the short, but demanding circuit. “I was quite surprised when I saw I was top as I know that we have some work to do over the full race distance.” Kiyonari is playing catch-up in the title stakes, currently running in eighth place and the importance of strong points is not lost on him: “I want to win these races and will be trying everything.” Michael Laverty, riding the Relentless Suzuki, who had been on the pace throughout the weekend, starts alongside Kiyonari at the front of the grid, marginally faster than the series leading Tommy Hill who bounced back from a heavy tumble in the first phase of the Swan Combi Roll for Pole grid decider. Hill, riding the Worx Crescent Suzuki, had at that stage done just enough to make the second element, providing his team could repair his bike in time, and they worked flat out to get him back on track – he rewarded them with hard riding to secure an all important front row start. “I lost the front end going into Edwina’s,” Hill explained, adding “I thought that was it, a fifth row start but the team did a fantastic job to get me out again. I got into the rhythm and made the final session to be third on the grid.” Michael Rutter, a race winner at the circuit two years ago, completed the front row line up on the RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati with a lap in 55.997secs which relegated title chasing Josh Brookes into fifth place the HM Plant Honda rider goes into these races aiming to peg back the 36 points deficit he has on Hill. Andrew Pitt, the former two times World Supersport Champion will make his BSB debut with the Motorpoint Yamaha team starting from the second row, sixth fastest, and marginally faster than Karl Harris, who is making a one-off appearance on the East Coast Yamaha. Dan Linfoot, on the second Motorpoint bike started alongside. Chris Walker headed up the second row on his Suzuki, and although Alistair Seeley ran tenth fastest, he was relegated four grid places for a pit-lane red light infringement. That put Yukio Kagayama, Simon Andrews and Martin Jessopp up a place on the third row with Swan Honda’s Stuart Easton heading the fourth from Seeley. James Ellison making his comeback having recovered from the leg injuries sustained in a crash during practice at Thruxton started his Swan Honda alongside Seeley with Tommy Bridewell completing that row. Hudson Kennaugh, riding the MAR Kawasaki, outpaced his rival for the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO title Steve Brogan, riding Jentin BMW by a split second with David Johnson on the Two Brothers Kawasaki third fastest from Splitlath Aprilia rider Chris Burns. For the record Front two row qualifiers: Row one Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 55.630s Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.281s Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.347s Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.367s Row two Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +0.430s Andrew Pitt (Motorpoint Yamaha) +0.793s Karl Harris (East Coast Racing Yamaha) +0.891s Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +1.027s Superbike lap record Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 55.845secs, 90.89mph (2007) More, from a press release issued by Swan Honda: TESTING TIMES IN QUALIFYING FOR SWAN HONDA AT MALLORYPARK The Swan Honda team had a challenging Swan Combi Roll for Pole qualifying session at MalloryPark this afternoon and Stuart Easton and James Ellison will both start tomorrow’s opening race from the fourth row of the grid. Ellison had been consistently improving throughout free practice as he makes his return from injury. He set his best time of the weekend during qualifying as he moved firmly inside the top 15 with his best lap time of 57.063s putting him fifteenth on the grid for the opening race. Easton meanwhile was disappointed with his fourteenth place, but following a debrief with his crew he is determined to make amends in tomorrow’s two races. Ellison said: “It has been a hard day for me again. It is so physical at MalloryPark and I have always been so fit where I work so hard at my training, that to not be at one hundred percent fitness has been tough. I think my fitness has always been my advantage and I can normally find extra tenths in my times thanks to that, but I haven’t been able to train to my full potential for the past ten weeks because of my injury. On the other side though I have gone from sitting on the sidelines with a broken femur to qualifying in 15th place on the grid, so I am happy with the improvements since yesterday. It would have nice to be inside that top ten, but now I am focussed on the race and scoring some good points for the championship. I need to thank Shaun Muir and everyone at Swan Honda for keeping the faith in me during what has been a really challenging time and I want to repay them for their support.” Easton said: “I am not happy with a fourth row start, but things just haven’t worked out for us so far at MalloryPark. We had some problems that we were working through but we just didn’t manage to get back where we needed to be for qualifying. The only plus side is that we have looked at the data and have some idea on what we need to focus on in warm up and then if we just go for it in race one, then we should start from a better grid position for race two.” More, from a press release issued by Jentin Racing: JENTIN RACING-BMW MOTORRAD’S STEVE BROGAN QUALIFIES SECOND DESPITE CRASH Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad’s Steve Brogan has put himself second on the British Superbike Evo grid for tomorrow’s double header at Mallory Park despite a crash coming out of the second of three chicanes while on his fastest practice lap of the Leicestershire circuit. Liverpudlian Brogan was spat off his S 1000 RR Superbike as he exited Edwina’s but was fortunately not injured in the spill. His best time was good enough to secure second on the Evo grid and 22nd place overall even though Brogan only got minimal track time in the qualifying session. Brogan said: “The bike has been awesome this weekend. I’d been going well in all the practice sessions up until the last one. I’m lapping very close to the times I was running last year on a full factory superbike and considering that the S 1000 RR has a standard engine is amazing. I’d been really pleased with the performance but then had an off in the last practice session. “I’d completed eight laps in the last practice session when I high-sided coming out of Edwina’s chicane. It’s a shame really as I was on my fastest lap of the weekend. It was a silly little mistake but it meant that we last a lot of time in that session as we couldn’t get the bike back. “Unfortunately there isn’t much time between free practice and qualifying so although the bike didn’t look too badly damaged, there was a hell of a lot of work to be done to get it fixed for qualifying. For a while it looked like we wouldn’t make it but the team dug in and got me out ten minutes into the qualifying session. “I managed to squeeze in a couple of quick laps and get us up to second Evo. I’m quite happy with that to be honest considering the problems the crashed caused us. The bike is working really well so I’ll be aiming for a good start and a couple podiums.” Team manager Bernie Toleman added: “Up until the crash in the final practice session Steve had been riding well. He’d been consistently running in the top 15 of the FIM-spec Superbikes, and was the leading Evos by quite a margin. “Obviously the crash cost us valuable practice and qualifying time but this is the first time Steve has fallen off all season. Considering the pace at which he rides, that really does show what a quality rider he is. “I’m very proud of the way our team worked to get the bike repaired and out so quickly. It was close as to whether we’d actually manage to get Steve on track in the qualifying session at all so to start as the second Evo on the grid is an amazing achievement for us as a team. This incident really does highlight what a team game motorcycle racing is and I’m very proud of the way our whole team performed.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Relentless by TAS Suzuki rider Michael Laverty will start tomorrow’s opening British Superbike race at Mallory Park on the front row of the grid in second position, with team-mate Alastair Seeley qualifying 10th on his debut at the Leicestershire venue. Unfortunately due to a rule infringement, where Seeley was deemed to have ignored a red flag exiting pit lane during the final free practice session this morning, he has been dropped four grid positions for race one to 14th. Laverty has been the in-form rider all weekend at Mallory Park on his GSX-R1000 Superbike, topping the Q1 Roll for Poll session and narrowly losing out in the final stages of Q3 to Ryuichi Kiyonari, but the Welsh-based Suzuki rider is quietly confident going into tomorrow’s races. Alastair Seeley has also been meticulous in his preparation for this weekend’s qualifying, walking the circuit and taking tips from his more experienced team-mate in a bid to fast track his Mallory Park knowledge. Michael Laverty: “We’ve been right in the ballpark from the word go this weekend and along with the boys in the garage, we’ve found a set-up that suits the circuit and the Relentless Suzuki. Missing out on pole is always a little bit disappointing, but to have been so consistent, especially on used tyres, is more important for tomorrow’s races. I’m feeling good and confident, so with a good start tomorrow, avoiding any early lap problems, we should be well in the hunt. I want to consolidate my third place in the championship this weekend, but as I’ve already said, if the win is there for the taking, I’m happy to take it on.” Alastair Seeley: “I’ve been bumping time off my laps all weekend so we’ve been going in the right direction; although you get to a stage where trying to find that extra 10th around here is very difficult. I was confident going into Q3 but I knew pretty much straight away that we didn’t have quite the same amount of grip with the rear tyre and I was out of the seat a couple of times. The penalty is one of those things I don’t want to dwell on. I’ll learn more in the races tomorrow following people and the goal here is to come away with solid finishes and some decent points. Both races will be very busy and physical, but I’m well up for it and will be looking to pick them off and get my GSX-R1000 Superbike as close to the front as I can.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “What a way to return to BSB. Michael has not been outside the top couple of places all weekend and he’s been banging in consistent laps and dipping into the ’55’s’ which is phenomenal. You need a lot of luck around here, but with a clean start and some decent track space, we are quietly confident Michael can do the business. “For his first time here, Alastair has acquitted himself very well and he was taking large chunks off his time in every session. He just couldn’t find that perfect lap in Q3 but I’m pleased with his effort, although I am a little frustrated at his penalty. I thought it was a little harsh but if it’s in the rules we have no place to complain and we’ve already accepted it. We can’t expect miracles from him on his debut at Mallory and from row 4 in race one, but he’ll give it his best shot – we know that from experience.” BSB Roll for Pole result: 1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 55.630s 2. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.281s 3. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.347s 4. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.367s 5. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +0.430s 6. Andrew Pitt (Motorpoint Yamaha) +0.793s 7. Karl Harris (East Coast Racing Yamaha) +0.891s 8. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +1.027s 9. Chris Walker (CW Racing Suzuki) +1.109s 10. Alastair Seeley [Relentless Suzuki by TAS] More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: ommy Hill will start tomorrow’s fifth round of the British Superbike Championship at Mallory Park from the front row even though the Worx Crescent Suzuki rider and his team-mate Yukio Kagayama both crashed in the first session in the three-stage roll for pole, requiring extensive crash repairs before both riders would go on to secure P3 and P11 start positions. Tommy Hill: “Those were some of the scariest moments of the year so far. My GSX-R was quite beaten up after the crash at Edwinas on my seventh lap, and it was so tense for me not knowing whether the team could repair it or if I was going to have to start tomorrow from P20. The way the bike looked when I got it back I honestly thought that it would be me done. But the Worx Crescent Suzuki boys were brilliant in getting it back together, all done just four minutes into Q2. Now with a front row start I should be on for two good races tomorrow to try and keep that advantage in the standings.” Yukio Kagayama: “That was not the best from me and I still have some work to do on set-up in tomorrow’s warm-up. For me, I need to get a better feel for corner entry so I can push the front more without crashing. I was so pleased the team got the bike repaired so quickly after my crash and this allowed me to progress into Q2 as I got back on track and set a qualifying time just before Q1 finished. I almost had a place in Q3 as well but in the last minute another rider went just that bit faster. P11 means a third row start for me and for sure that means much hard work tomorrow. I will do my best.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “That was one tough day. At one point we had both bikes in the garage needing crash repairs with just minutes to get the jobs done and both bikes back on track. The technical team were incredible, they train for moments like these and all the practice paid off as they kept both our riders on track and in the running. Tommy taking another front row qualifying position was a great reward for all their hard work. “It was quite an unexpectedly frantic end to two days of practice. Tommy has been top-three both days, doing what he does best. For Yukio it’s been a tough return to the track, he started fast – fifth in the first practice – but has lost places as the sessions went by. He’s struggling with his set-up but we’re looking to try a new setting for him in the morning. He’s a born fighter though, so we can expect him to be in the thick of the action come tomorrow.” MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Qualifying: 1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 55.630s 2. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.281s 3. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.347s 4. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.367s 5. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +0.430s 6. Andrew Pitt (Motorpoint Yamaha) +0.793s 7. Karl Harris (East Coast Racing Yamaha) +0.891s 8. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +1.027s 9. Chris Walker (CW Racing Suzuki) +1.109s 11. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki)